• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- South Dakota National Guard soldiers who served four months in Afghanistan are being welcomed back to Pierre.
• A parade and afternoon ceremony were scheduled Tuesday for the 68 members of the Pierre-based 152nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.
• The battalion provided support overseas in areas including supplies, maintenance, transportation and weapons. The soldiers deployed two days after the Fourth of July and returned to Fort Hood, Texas, earlier this month to go through the demobilization process.
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• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Gov. Dennis Daugaard plans to travel to China again this spring and is inviting South Dakota business leaders to join him.
• His third trade mission to the country will include visits to Beijing and Shanghai.
• The governor's office says preference will be given to companies in value-added agriculture, advanced manufacturing, biosciences, professional business services and energy. Businesses will be reimbursed after the trade mission for up to 30 percent of the travel, hotel and visa expenses for one company representative.
• The trip is tentatively set for May 6-15, but that might change. The application deadline is Jan. 17.
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• ELK POINT, S.D. (AP) -- A judge is scheduled to hear oral arguments Tuesday in a motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit over ABC News' coverage of a meat product that critics dub "pink slime."
• The lawsuit filed by Beef Products Inc. was moved in June from federal court to circuit court. ABC is asking the circuit judge to dismiss the case.
• Dakota Dunes-based BPI claims the TV network damaged the company by misleading consumers into believing that its signature product -- lean, finely textured beef -- is unhealthy and unsafe. It is seeking $1.2 billion in damages.
• BPI officials say the product is safe and the coverage led to the closure of three plants and roughly 700 layoffs.

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